


The Problem with Family Reunions

by Emcee



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: harry_holidays, Developing Relationship, F/M, Post - Deathly Hallows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-08
Updated: 2009-12-08
Packaged: 2017-11-16 07:15:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/536892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emcee/pseuds/Emcee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neville's family is having a reunion. His friends have some interesting ideas as to how he can impress his family, leading to a date with Lavender Brown.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Problem with Family Reunions

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [harry_holidays](http://harry-holidays.livejournal.com/profile) 2009 for musicbeforeboys. This story is set 10-11 years after Harry and Co attend Hogwarts.

Neville Longbottom was a well-respected Professor of Herbology. Neville Longbottom was Head of Gryffindor House. Neville Longbottom was a hero of the Second War on Voldemort. Yet, Neville Longbottom was still afraid of his family.  
  
Most would think this was a patently ridiculously statement, but unfortunately for Neville, his family tended to skip right over his good qualities and focus on the fact that he was 'chubby ickle Neville'.  
  
He hadn't been 'chubby ickle Neville' in nearly ten years, but the seventeen that had preceded it were etched in their memories. No matter what he did, no matter how much he changed, he was going to suffer ridicule and teasing from his family.  
  
So when Neville got the invitation for his family reunion, it had felt like his stomach had fallen to his knees.  
  
"Why are you so nervous?" Harry had asked him when he'd come to the school for a special defence class. "You destroyed the only horcrux that was capable of _eating people_ , Neville."  
  
Neville's eyes widened as he stared at Harry incredulously. "It could eat people?" He hadn't thought about that at the time. Probably a good thing or he might have lost his nerve. He shook his head and focused on the problem at hand. "But you don't understand... My uncles, my cousins... They're a nightmare."  
  
Harry arched a brow. "No, I wouldn't understand a _thing_ about uncles and cousins being nightmares," sarcasm dripped from Harry's voice.  
  
Embarrassment flooded Neville, his cheeks turning a deep scarlet. "Sorry.... I didn't mean... It's just... Well, they're all older than me and whenever they see me, I'm just podgy Nevillekins who can't do any magic. When my great-aunt Gertrude got married for the fourth time, all they did was ask how being the Hogwarts gardener was going."  
  
"You don't need to try and impress them," Harry said sagely. "You know everything you've done. If they can't recognize how incredible it all is, it's their loss. Just be yourself."  
  
****  
  
"Of _course_ you should try to impress them!" Ron exclaimed as he wrestled with getting Hugo's diaper on. "You should go in there, head held high and say 'hey, you... I took on Voldemort. What have _you_ done with your life?'. Maybe you could ask McGonagall if you can borrow the Sword of Gryffindor."  
  
Neville's brow furrowed deeply as he considered the suggestion. He slowly shook his head while he allowed Rose to tug on his hand, trying to get him to play with her. "You know, I can't see the Headmistress liking that idea."  
  
"You could get a replica from George!" Ron enthused. "Sure, it'd turn into a cod after an hour or so, but you'd put the idea in their heads." He groaned as he accidentally knocked over the baby powder, causing a cloud of white to envelope his face.  
  
"Why don't you just use magic?" Neville asked, scooping up Rose to allow Ron to compose himself without the risk of running into his daughter.  
  
"Hermione," Ron groused, wiping the powder off his face. "She read a book about how using magic for infancy care interferes with the parent-child bond. I _told_ her diapers should be excluded, but nooo...." He finally managed to get Hugo's diaper back on and picked his son up off the changing table. "Isn't that right, you little poop machine?" His tone was affectionate as he held his son close.  
  
Neville felt a jealous stab in his heart as he watched Ron with his children. Most of his friends had moved onto getting married and having children. He was still painfully single. He hadn't done horribly in the years following the fall of the Voldemort. Being one of the heroes of the war carried a certain cachet. But any relationship he had was short-lived. Every woman he dated eventually realized that-- behind the myth and legend of the brave Gryffindor warrior was just plain old Neville Longbottom. Once he'd become a Professor, it became even worse. Women just weren't interested in dating a teacher, especially one who spent most of his time around fertilizer. Besides, none of them compared to...  
  
"Why don't you go see Lavender?" Ron suggested.  
  
Neville's eyes grew wide, wondering if somehow Ron had read his mind. "I... Um... Well..." He swallowed hard and clutched tighter to Rose. "Why would I do that?"  
  
"Maybe you can't get the sword, but you can at least dress yourself nice," Ron suggested. "Or to be exact, let Lavender dress you. You clean up all right. Maybe that'll get your family to keep quiet."  
  
****  
  
Later that night, Neville found himself in the small clothing shop in Hogsmeade. Lavender Brown flounced around him with a measuring tape and cloth. She always had a way of being extremely chipper. Her attitude even made Neville feel better about the butterflies in his stomach at the prospect of his family reunion.  
  
She suddenly stopped fluttering around him and leaned forward. "Neville, not that I mind you coming to see me and I certainly understand a fashion emergency... But why do you need these robes so fast?"  
  
Neville blushed-- both at the question and Lavender's proximity. "I have a family reunion. I need to look... You know, better."  
  
Lavender frowned slightly, thoughtfully. "But why do you seem so worried about it? It's just a family reunion!"  
  
Neville felt his cheeks growing even hotter. He wasn't sure he wanted to admit to Lavender the true reason for his distress, but the look in her pretty brown eyes was irresistible.  
  
"It's..." Neville started slowly. "It's mostly my Great Uncle Algie's grandkids. They're a few years older than us. They always... Well, pick on me."  
  
Lavender blinked. "Neville, you're twenty-seven."  
  
Neville shook his head slowly. "That's not going to stop them. No matter how old I get, I'm just silly, pathetic, chubby Neville."  
  
Lavender's frown deepened. "But..."  
  
Neville held up a hand. "I know I faced Voldemort and destroyed one of his Horcruxes. They don't care. They're still going to take the mickey out of me. Ron thought if I dressed nice, it'd help."  
  
Lavender's lips pursed. "Well, Ron always was a bit thick." Neville wondered if she might still be bitter about their break-up, even if it was a decade ago. "What you wear isn't going to help, Neville."  
  
Neville's shoulders slumped. "Really?"  
  
The corners of Lavender's mouth suddenly turned into sly smile. "But what I wear will."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Lavender didn't answer him. She simply went over to the racks of clothing, rifling through them and pulling out different dresses, pressing them against herself and looking critically in the mirror.  
  
"I'm confused," Neville said, scratching his head. "Why would what you wear make a difference?"  
  
"I'm going to be your date," Lavender replied, still looking at her reflection. "Why would your cousins make fun of you if you show up with a beautiful girlfriend on your arm?"  
  
Neville thought he might die from heatstroke with the blush in his cheeks. "A beautiful girlfriend?"  
  
Lavender pouted cutely. "You do think I'm beautiful, don't you, Neville?"  
  
"Oh, you're very beautiful, Lavender," Neville stammered out. He couldn't seem to get out that he thought Lavender was one of the most beautiful women in the entire world. "But why would you want to come with me?"  
  
Lavender skipped back over to Neville, smiling broadly. "Because I like you!" Neville's heart felt like it had stilled in his chest. But his head dropped when Lavender raised her hand to ruffle his hair. "You're sweet and some dumb bullies shouldn't give you trouble."  
  
"That's very nice of you," Neville murmured, trying to hide his disappointment.  
  
"When is your reunion?" Lavender asked.  
  
"Saturday." Neville looked down, sighing softly. "Six o'clock."  
  
Lavender cupped Neville's chin, forcing him to look up at her. "I'll be by the school at five. Don't worry. Your cousins won't know what hit them."  
  
****  
  
With the prospect of a date with Lavender, Neville was starting to look forward to his family reunion. Even if it was only a fake date to impress his cousins, it was still the closest he'd ever gotten to going out with her. His crush on Lavender had been simmering for many years now, since she'd helped him with Dumbledore's Army in their final year of school.  
  
When Saturday arrived, Neville awoke to a House Elf waiting for him with a garment bag. Lavender had sent his dress robes along. They were finely tailored to perfectly fit his body. While Neville wasn't in remarkable shape, he'd certainly thinned out since his childhood. He didn't often dress to reflect this change, but Lavender had made certain it would show.  
  
He tried to wait patiently, but found himself growing antsy waiting for Lavender. Worry about his cousins was far from his mind, rather, he just wanted to have a good time with her. He showered twice to make sure the scent of fertilizer was completely gone and that he didn't have any dirt under his fingernails. Teddy Lupin stopped by to check on his favourite Professor. Neville had taken tea with him and was hardly able to stop his hand from shaking when he poured.  
  
Finally, it was five o'clock. Neville had changed into his dress robes and self-consciously checked his appearance in the mirror every few minutes when he head the knock on the door. He opened it and suddenly found breathing to be very difficult to do.  
  
Lavender was dressed in off-the-shoulders light purple dress robes. Her long, brown hair was gathered loosely, spilling over her right shoulder and covering up the scars she'd received from Fenrir Greyback.  
  
"Is this all right?" Lavender asked, seeming to misread Neville's look of stunned silence. She did a turn. "Will your cousins be impressed?"  
  
Neville wanted to tell her he didn't care _what_ his cousins thought. In fact, he wanted to just take her into his room so no other man would see her looking so beautiful. Instead, he just swallowed hard and nodded. "Oh, they'll be impressed," he squeaked out.  
  
Trying with all his might to stop his hand from shaking, Neville held his arm out for Lavender to take. They walked down the corridors of the school and Neville thought he would die from embarrassment at the number of students who seemed to be out and snickering at Professor Longbottom going out on a date. Teddy was out and flashed him a thumbs up at his went. Neville glanced over at Lavender to apologize and... Was she smiling and blushing?  
  
Once off school grounds, the pair apparated to the hall that had been rented for the reunion. It was the Hall of Heroes. It had been set up at the end of the second war to memorialize those who had fought in both wars against Voldemort. Outside the hall was a statue of Dumbledore and Harry, standing proudly, together. Neville took a deep breath. There was something else he was nervous about, besides his cousins.  
  
They made their way inside the hall, passing by the displays of those who had fought-- and most died-- in the wars. But there was a display for two who did not die. Right near the door of the hall where his relatives were gathering.  
  
Neville stopped in front of the portrait of his parents. It had been done at their wedding, donated to the hall by his Gran. They were smiling and happy and... Neville had never actually seen them like that.  
  
Lavender reached down and squeezed his hand. "I'm sure they're proud of you."  
  
Neville shook his head. "They don't even know what I did, Lavender." He wanted to think his parent were proud, but he saw the truth every time he went to see them. A part of him had hoped they would miraculously get better when they finally defeated Voldemort, like it was a spell that could be lifted. But life didn't work that way.  
  
"Well, I'm proud of you," Lavender said quietly. She shuffled her feet closer to Neville. "You fought against Greyback after what he did to me."  
  
Neville could feel the heat suffuse his cheeks. "Ron did most of it. And Hermione is the one who saved you."  
  
"I saw you," Lavender whispered. "When I was covered in my own blood and trying to stay awake. I saw you fight him."  
  
Neville could see her thick lashes fluttering. She was impossibly close to him. His heart pounded a furious tattoo in his chest. Was he reading this wrong? No, it couldn't be. Lavender couldn't....  
  
"It's ickle Nevillekins!" A voice cried out. Neville jerked away from Lavender suddenly, shocked at the new arrivals.  
  
Sebastian and Alphonse Longbottom sauntered over to the pair. Sebastian gave Neville a hard slap on the back, causing him to lurch forward.  
  
"How you doing there, Nev?" Sebastian asked, a smarmy smile on his face.  
  
"More importantly, who is this?" Alphonse asked, leaning in close to Lavender. He looked back and forth between Lavender and Neville. "You cannot possibly have a girlfriend this beautiful. You pay her?"  
  
The slap across Alphonse's cheek was deafening. Neville's eyes widened as he watched Alphonse stumble away from Lavender, who kept her hand held up threateningly.  
  
"How _dare you_ ," Lavender hissed. "Trying to come onto me by calling me a trollop? Insulting your cousin." She looked him up and down. "Sweet Merlin, you must be in your thirties. _Grow up_."  
  
She straightened up to full height, which was not terribly imposing, but in that moment, it was very clear why she had been chosen for Gryffindor. "I'm just a friend."  
  
Neville winced inwardly as Lavender spoke those words, but then she continued.  
  
"But I want to be more."  
  
Neville felt the corners of his mouth twitch up. "What?"  
  
"I'm mad on you, Neville," Lavender whispered. "Have been for years. Ever since you stood up against the Carrows."  
  
Neville stared at Lavender dumbfounded. He opened and closed his mouth mutely for a few minutes before finding his voice. "Why... Why did you never tell me?"  
  
"You had so many girls around you after you stood up against Voldemort," Lavender admitted. "I thought you'd think I was some fame-hungry..." She bit her lower lip, trying to find the word. "...Groupie."  
  
Neville wanted to speak. Wanted to tell her she was Lavender and he would have _married_ her had he had half the chance. But words failed him. He found himself unable to form any comprehensive speech.  
  
So he settled for pulling her to him and kissing her with as much passion as he could muster.  
  
When they finally parted, Lavender was beaming. "I guess that means you feel the same."  
  
Neville turned briefly to Alphonse and Sebastian. "I'm kind of busy right now. Could you two kindly shove off?"  
  
The pair slunk off, Alphonse still nursing the stinging red slap mark on his cheek.  
  
Neville grasped Lavender's hand in his. "Lavender... Are... Are you serious? You're not just trying to make my cousins envious, are you?"  
  
"Never," Lavender replied. "I didn't know how to tell you, Neville. I'm just a silly seamstress who likes crystal balls. Why would you want me?"  
  
Neville laughed softly, reaching up to stroke Lavender's cheek. "Well, I'm a glorified gardener who'd forget his head if it wasn't attached." He leaned in and kissed her once again. "Lavender, I am.... So in love with you. I've wanted to tell you for ages, but I never thought you would want someone like me."  
  
"I don't want _someone_ like you," Lavender whispered against his mouth. "I just want you."  
  
"Then you have me." Neville let out another small laugh. One of pure joy and ease.  
  
"So..." Lavender beamed at him. "I guess I don't need to _pretend_ to be your girlfriend?"  
  
"Definitely not," Neville replied. He took her hand and began to pull her towards the hall where his family was waiting. "But you know... My family does this every couple of years. I think I might want you to come to the next one."  
  
Lavender allowed Neville to lead her along. "Really now..." She was smiling slyly.  
  
Neville nodded. "Oh yeah." He couldn't wipe the smile from his face. "But for the next one, they're probably going to want me to be married. What do you think?"  
  
Lavender laughed. "We might be able to arrange something."


End file.
